


A Collection of Stories

by CongressIsAliens



Category: Marching Band/Colorguard/Drumline
Genre: 8th grade, Aging out, Alternate Universe- Soulmates, Anyone that has ever been on a group chat will relate with this, Drum Corps, Drumline - Freeform, Everyone is Perfect (tm), Fluff, Front Ensemble, Group chat, High School, Many stories, Marching Band, Multi, Mutual Pining, Play/Drama, Self-Indulgent, Soulmate AU, Soulmate Minute, The Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, cheesy as fuck, completely self indulgent, cuteness, group chat shenanigans, otp, percussion, proposal, script
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-08-30 01:25:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16755199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CongressIsAliens/pseuds/CongressIsAliens
Summary: Just a bunch of stories that were stand alone but I am now putting into their multi-chaptered fic.Stories from before I finished Stories (if that makes any sense).





	1. The Jacket

Monday night rehearsals are always cold. Always have been. Colder than Wednesday by some freak of nature, every single week. Tonight, it’s a balmy 39 degrees out at 8 PM, there’s still another hour of rehearsal to go, and it’ll only get colder from here.

The marchers all are wearing warm coats, as even one rep without, even moving intensely, will have them freeze. On the drum major’s podium, Markus is wearing at least four layers to keep from freezing. The pit is also dressed as warm as possible, as they don’t move much. Almost everyone in the band is wearing their band jackets, black waterproof, fleecy warm coats with their names embroidered on them. All the vets have patches on their jackets from seasons marched, either indoor or outdoor. My jacket is no exception, with 1 patch from my 8th grade show last year on my left sleeve. I played rack.

Unfortunately for me, said jacket is in my locker.

Across the school from where I stand. 

I’ve been moving as much as possible, keeping warm as best I can. But in just jeans and a Zildjian t-shirt, it’s most definitely not enough. I have an insane amount of goosebumps, and my fingers may or may not be turning slightly blue, even though we’ve only been out here for an hour, but in the meh lighting, it’s hard to tell. 

Everyone else, of course, is dressed for the weather. Evan and Eddie are both wearing their band jackets, sleeves covered in patches from their many years marched. (Five fall patches for the both of them, plus 4 indoor patches. There’s a cadet drumline as well as the normal indoor, but the cadet people don’t do patches. I did cadet for all 3 years of middle school.) Aiden has a blue puffy vest and a gray sweater. Ginger has her band jacket, with no patches, as it’s her first year. Brianna has a lime-green windbreaker. Emily has a red sweatshirt that says “Save the Chubby Unicorns” on it, with her hood up. Levi is wearing a hoodie with the hood up and his band jacket on top, one patch on his back, as it’s starting to rain. As if it couldn’t get any worse. 

That’s the only bad thing about the band jackets, really, their lack of hood. 

Right now, I would gladly take my band jacket, hood or not. 

“One last rep before we get some water! To set 16 through the end of the ballad, pit, that’s measure, hang on, measure 28!”

The rain that has been slowly, steadily worsening, makes the bars and cymbals collect water. It’s super cool on a cymbal crash, where the water goes everywhere, but the rain also makes everything colder. I’ve tried to control the shake in my hands and arms for the time we’ve been outside, and I’ve been doing ok, but I start shivering too hard to control this rep as the wind picks up and blows the stinging raindrops all over. 

It’s quite possibly my worst run ever.

And that includes that time last season when I had too loose a grip on the bass drum mallet, it was raining and slippery, I hit too hard, and it rebounded out of my hand, over the trap table, and nearly took out a field judge. I had no mallet for the rest of the show. This was embarrassingly late in the season too, as in the last competition before championships. I most definitely got shit from everyone, including that very field judge. He just had to be the percussion judge. Yep, it got on the tape. 

I hit so many wrong notes that rep that I may have played more wrong than right. It’s so bad that at the end I start feathertapping, which means just barely playing, if at all. It’s one of the cardinal sins of keyboard percussion. But it’s really all I can do to keep the mallets semi-close to the right keys, so it will have to do for now. 

And I’ve been so distracted by trying to keep warm that I missed all of the criticism. 

“Alright, keep those in mind for next rep. But for now, one minute, water up, stay warm. Back out here in a minute or a lap.” 

I squat down, grab my water, and stand back up. A lap actually wouldn’t be so bad, really. It would get me a little warmer. But I suck at running, and everyone would hate me. My water is really cold, which sucks. I’d kill for some hot cocoa right now. I swear, if it’s possible for my goosebumps to have goosebumps, they do. My teeth are clicking together, my shirt is wet and cold from the moderately heavy rain. And my hands have almost lost feeling. 

“Hey Kaitlyn! You look cold.”

No shit, Sherlock. 

“N-No shi-“

I look up, and it’s Levi. God fucking damn it. 

“Oh, hey. D-Didn’t realize it w-was you.”

“Well, who else could I be?”

I shrug. I dunno. 

“Anyway, you look like you’re going to freeze.”

I am. But you don’t need to know that. 

“I-I’m fine.”

“No you’re not, you’re shivering like a leaf. Do you want my jacket?”

“No, I’m f-fine, it’s p-probably too b-big anyway.”

“Yes, but I’d rather you wear my too-big jacket than freeze and die. You’re too cute to die, anyway.”

He kind of mumbles the last sentence, so I don’t really hear it at all.

“W-What was that?

“Never mind. Just take my jacket.”

“No, r-really, I’m fine.”

He pulls it off and holds it out.

“I insist. I’m not going away until you take it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“F-Fine. Only b-because you said s-so.”

His hoodie is grey and has a deep-fried meme on it. Real classy, but I’m not judging. It’s probably warm. 

I pull on his jacket and zip it all the way up. The design has a high collar and long sleeves anyway, but on me, it’s enormous. The sleeves I have to roll up, and the collar hits my nose. It also smells like him (not like I’m paying attention to that). 

I stay moderately warm and dry for the rest of practice, but I’m still glad to be inside where it’s at least above freezing.

In the band room, I put all the cymbals back on the bars. It’s my season job. Everyone in the pit has a season job they keep and do after every rehearsal. Evan and Eddie reattach the cymbal bars, Ginger, Brianna and Aiden wind cables and make sure all the electronics are neatly away and everything is arranged nicely, Levi and Emily put away all the rack things. This usually makes me the last pit person out, since I’m the only one on my job. Why? Becuase the Hat of Destiny said so. 

The Hat of Destiny is a beat-up, faded blue baseball cap that has been passed down from pit section leader to pit section leader since, according to Eddie, “at least 2003, maybe 2002, I don’t know”. It has all the jobs written on paper, re-written every year on the first day of band camp, and we all pick, then put back. It’s all fine anyway. I only have 3 sets to put on, as the vibes I play have no cymbal bar. They also have no motor and a duct-taped pedal, and are strung partly with friendship bracelets, and the whole frame rattles, but it’s all cool. I use a cymbal stand, which goes on the pit cart. 

I forget I’m still wearing Levi’s jacket until I’m at my locker, grabbing my stuff. I pull my band jacket out and stuff it in my bag, then realize I’m wearing Levi’s still. I need to give it back. Even though it smells amazing. Where is he, anyway?

“Hey, has anyone seen Levi?”

I’m asking the only two people who seem to still be here, Xander, a clarinet, and Francesco, a baritone. 

“No.”

“Nope.”

“I think he left. Ask Eddie.”

“Eddie left.”

“Did he? I mean, I know Levi left.”

“Yeah, he left. You have his jacket?”

“Well, duh! What’s she wearing?”

“I couldn’t see from this angle!”

“Your eyes are bad.”

“So’re yours.”

“Ow! What was that for?”

“‘Cause you’re a clarinet and you can’t see.”

“Shut up, Francesco.”

“You shut up!”

I love band. We’re all such great friends here. I decide to just give Levi’s jacket back on Wednesday. We don’t have a single class together, and besides, people would get the wrong idea if I gave it back between classes. No one cares in band.  

And it smells like him, like his house. I’ve been to his house many times because our moms are BFF’s. It smells like nutmeg and vanilla. But mostly his jacket smells like him, which is fantastic. I love it. Oh god, it’s like Elaine said. I’ve really got it bad. 

Ben’s probably waiting for me outside. 

“Hey Kait. How was band?”

“Cold.”

“Hey, is your jacket too big on you? I mean, I could have sworn it was fine when we got it…”

“What? No, this isn’t mine.”

“Whose is it?”

“...uh...Levi’s…”

“Levi’s?”

“...”

“I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. You guys are together, aren’t you? Oh, mom’s going to be so excited. Oh, you’re so cute together. I knew he likes you. I can’t wait to tell Jenny, she’ll flip. Oh, I knew it, I knew it!”

“We- I mean, we’re not together.”

“You’re not?”

“I wish. No, he just insisted I take it ‘cause I was a dumbass and left mine in my locker accidentally and almost froze to death.”

“Accidentally.”

“It really was an accident!”

“I believe you. Just teasing. So, any reason you still have it on?”

“He left before I realized.”

“Ah. Might want to take it off before mom sees. She’ll go nuts and assume, and think you’re dating, and tell his mom, and probably invite him for dinner, before you can explain. You know mom.”

“I do. But I don’t really want to take it off just yet.”

“Smells like him?”

“What- I mean, how, I-“

“You’re less subtle than you think you are. Besides, I know just how you feel. I’ve been through it. We’re almost home, so take it off, put yours on, snuggle with his jacket some other time.”

My face is burning from the warmth of the car (isn’t that ironic) and the embarrassment as I take it off, pull on mine, and shove his in the bottom of my bag. 

But not before burying my face in it one last time. 

It does, after all, smell like him.


	2. Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaitlyn and Levi do their pit initiation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying a new writing style here. If you want to actually do this as a scripted scene, PM me and I’ll help you out!

_ Sitting in a half-moon booth at Shari’s, we see, from left to right, Evan, Eddie, Kaitlyn, Aiden, Elise, Brianna, Sam, and Levi. All have ordered and are waiting for their food. They all have glasses of water in front of them. There’s a caddy in front of Elise with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and the typical variety of sugar and sweetener packets.  _

SAM- And so that’s how I managed to get everybody in the band to give me mini-marshmallows when I was a junior. 

ELISE- I remember that. That was hilarious. 

BRIANNA- I still can’t believe you got me to do that. 

EVAN- It was funny. Hey, Eddie, are you wearing the Hat of Destiny?

EDDIE- Yeah. 

_ Eddie is wearing a beat up Bluecoats hat that’s at least ten or fifteen years old.  _

EVAN- Good, it’s championships. 

EDDIE- You think I didn’t know that? 

_ All sit in a comfortably awkward silence.  _

AIDEN- Hey, what time is it?

EDDIE- It’s 12:27. 

EVAN- Do you not have your phone on you?

AIDEN- I do, but you have yours on the table and I have mine in my bag under the table, so…

EDDIE- Well, great that you mentioned the time, because do you know what time it is?

AIDEN- 12:27. You just told me. 

EDDIE- Nope! It’s initiation time for Levi and Kaitlyn!

LEVI AND KAITLYN- Initiation?!?

SAM- Yep! It’s time for the rite of pit passage!

KAITLYN- I don’t have to rob a bank or anything like that, do I? 

ELISE- Don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal. 

LEVI- Oh, that’s comforting. 

KAITLYN- So what do we have to do?

EVAN- Well, all you have to do is chug your water and eat...this.

_ Evan reaches across the table and pulls two packets of Truvia (not sponsored) out of the caddy.  _

EVAN- There, one for each of you.

ELISE- You could have asked me to move, you know. 

EVAN- What’s the fun in that?

BRIANNA- Oh, this is gonna be good.

KAITLYN- So, who’s first?

EVAN- I think, since you said that, you should go first!

LEVI- How bad can it be?

_ All the upperclassmen (everyone that’s not Levi and Kaitlyn) share a glance, and snicker quietly _ .

SAM- Well, I mean…

ELISE- It’s hard to explain.

AIDEN- Do you want to go first?

LEVI- No!

KAITLYN- Well, here goes. 

_ Kaitlyn drinks all her water, then rips open her packet.  _

KAITLYN- Down the hatch!

_ Kaitlyn pours all the powder down her throat, then starts coughing.  _

KAITLYN (SPUTTERING)- Oh god, that’s awful. 

LEVI- I’m not so sure about this…

EVAN- Oh come on, we’ve all done it. 

EDDIE- And when we were eighth graders, doing this, the seniors said this Shari’s didn’t even exist when they did it. 

SAM- Apparently they did it at the IHOP across the street. 

KAITLYN (NO LONGER SPUTTERING)- Huh. Today I learned. 

SAM- Pretty neat, eh?

AIDEN- You okay there, Kaitlyn?

KAITLYN- Oh yeah, I’m fine. 

ELISE- Your turn, Levi. 

_ Levi confidently chugs his water in about three seconds flat. _

LEVI- Really, this can’t be as bad as the time I ate a worm on a dare from my friends last year. How bad can it be?

BRIANNA- You’d be surprised. 

EVAN- I wouldn’t know. I’ve never eaten a worm. 

EDDIE- I should hope not. 

_ Levi opens the packet, eats it all in one shot, and coughs a bit, but recovers quickly.  _

LEVI- That tasted gross, but at least it wasn’t alive. 

AIDEN- You ate a live worm?

LEVI- Yeah, it was all slimy and gross and wiggling. 

ELISE- TMI, dude. 

_ Comfortable silence until waitress arrives with their drinks. Improvise this part with 9th actor, this should not be more than 30 seconds. _

BRIANNA- Got sweet tea there, Kaitlyn?

KAITLYN- Yep! I like sweet tea. 

EVAN AND EDDIE- Want some Truvia in that?

_ End scene _


	3. My Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aging out has never been better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exactly 1000 words challenge.

Well, here we are. Somehow the Mandarins managed to make finals with their second show in the trilogy, My Now, (an unprecedented move, a trilogy) and I’m playing third marimba. Levi, my wonderful boyfriend (from high school!), is playing second, on the other side of Dan, our first marimba and section leader.   
  
It’s awe-inspiring to stand on the field (well, along the front sideline of the field) and look up, to see the thousands of drum corps fans, cheering for us. Us! I came from a small band, one that went early on, so there were hardly any people in the stands when we performed. It’s a packed house today, only a few empty seats here and there. 

  
It’s time to perform for the last time competitively.    
  
Everything’s checked. My mic pack and headset are clipped on inconspicuous places on my under-uniform. We’re replacing the voiceover. At the end, right before the final explosion of sound, Levi and I used to go onto the field and do a little thing where a voice-over plays, we kiss, and we pull off our My Now uniforms, black and blue abominations to humanity, and reveal the silver My Future uniforms, which we’ll never wear again. 

  
But we’re speaking tonight. I didn’t figure they would do that, but we’ve rehearsed and rehearsed a set script. Maybe so it sounds more organic?

  
Usually, the voice-over says “In your eyes, I see my future. Our future. And the future looks bright.”   
  
Tonight, it’s the same thing, same words. 

  
The show goes fantastically.   
  
The 16th and 32nd note runs are awesome. The crashes are awesome. The slow runs are awesome. The block chords, the rolls, the emotion in the performance is awesome. Even the wind chimes are amazing. I feel on top of the world- and then I look over past Dan and see Levi.   
  
He’s tense, he’s pale (more so than normal), he’s got his “I’m-concentrating-very-hard-so-that-I-don’t-throw-up-because-I’m-nervous” face.   
  
He catches my eye, grins, and winks as if to say “I’m alright, don’t worry.”   
  
I go back to focusing on my performance.   
  
The brass have a vocal in the show, and tonight it’s more energetic than I’ve ever heard it.   
  
I play 16 last bars, and shove my mallets away, weave through the back of the pit, put on my headset, turn it on, double check, and grab Levi’s hand to walk up to the front hash.   
  
His hand is clammy, my palms are sweaty (mom’s spaghetti), we get to the hash much faster than it seems like we should have, even though we’re exactly on time. The guard, brass, and percussion apparently all have new visuals- they’re all on one knee, circling us, holding their left arm out. No one’s playing. It’s so silent you could hear a pin drop.   
  
I don’t say a word. I’m not supposed to, but I don’t anyway. 

  
We turn towards each other, Levi still holds my hand, and he starts to speak. It’s not what we rehearsed- not at all. 

  
“All this season, I’ve seen the future in your eyes. I love seeing it. I love seeing you. I love seeing the light and excitement in your eyes every day. You make me happy every single day. All I can do is ask is for you to join me and step into our future together.”   
  
He gets down on one knee, pulls out a small black box from seemingly mid-air, and my heart jumps.   
  
“Kaitlyn Greene, will you marry me?”   
  
My mind goes blank, but there’s only one thing I’d ever think of saying.   
  
“Yes!”   
  
I’m pulled into his embrace as the brass stand and nail their hit, and the crowd goes insane. Everyone’s cheering, I’m crying, he’s crying, I’m pretty sure most of the corps is crying, the audience is probably crying. He sets me down softly and puts the ring on my finger. Then I lean in and kiss him, and the crowd goes wild.   
  
I’ve lost all sense of time. But then I hear the beep in my earpiece that signals “take your over-uniforms off.”    
Our over-uniforms are basically just strange jackets, which we pull off, revealing the patterned silver, and walk forward 4 counts, hand in hand, then about a dozen guard members lift us on their shoulders as an amazing sustained chord plays. The drum majors cut off, and the crowd goes crazy.   
  
“The MMMMMMANDARINS!!!” Brandt Crocker almost shouts.

We have a standing ovation as we run off the field. We’re placed 9th right now. I never expected this, any of this.    


We run back to the pit, hand in hand, the second the guard puts us down. We pack up and get off the field to the sound of thunderous applause.   
  
In the lot, so many people come up and congratulates us. Hornline, guard, percussion, staff, even random spectators. Dan’s ecstatic. Kyle, a trumpet, shows us his Instagram- and there we are, already. So many videos. So many posts. So many congratulations. Already! And it’s only been fifteen minutes!   
  
Our corps director calls us all together.   
  
“That was amazing. Absolutely amazing. Amazing show, especially amazing emotion. Great job, everyone, for remembering the spur of the moment choreography, and helping Levi and Kaitlyn have such an amazing moment. Let’s have a round of applause for them!”   
  
Everyone cheers. I look down at the ring on my left hand. It’s gorgeous. A thin gold band with a small diamond in the middle. Not too big, or flashy. Just perfect.   
  
“That was a great run, guys. I hope all of you are proud of yourselves. Now, let’s have a round of applause for your age-outs!”   
  
Cheers all around.   
  
“Now, go get out of your uniforms. Y’all can stay in the stands until the Devils come on, then get back here to get ready for retreat.”   
  
And we change, and we watch shows, and we go to retreat, where the Mandarins get 8th and we get a shout-out from Brandt Crocker.   
  
This is the best day of my life.


	4. The Century Bass Drum Fiasco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all shows go smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know what the Tigard uniforms look like?
> 
> https://postimg.cc/CBhGTzV8
> 
> (shut up I hate imgur)

Prelims at the Century Showcase, the last show before Championships. I’m feeling good about the show. We finally have the whole thing this week, which is nice. I’m wheeling the bass drum into the pit/prop staging area at Hillsboro Stadium, nerves barely there. They’ll come back next week, just in time for championships, I’m sure, but they’re not here now. I can sort of see the marchers lined over the fence. They’re facing away from the field (something about luck, according to Kellen, the clarinet soloist) and probably talking about the show. 

Then the group in front of us is done and we push onto the field and I rush to set up all my crap. Gong, trap table, glock and x-stand (which is a pain in the ass because it’s heavy and doesn’t have wheels, and I have to climb on the podium to get it because I’m exactly 5 feet tall, and the podium is six-and-a-half), crate that holds all the small stuff (sticks, cowbell, tambourine, bass drum and gong mallets, and the suspended cymbal mallets, which are a pair of vibraphone mallets that have clearly seen better days), the suspended cymbal, which is slightly cracked, and the hi-hat. 

It’s a lot. I use it all though at some point in the show. I unpack my crate onto the trap table and grab my first things (cowbell and a stick) and get ready.

It starts to rain, slowly, then faster and faster.  If it sounds redundant, like it happens all the time, well, that’s ‘cause it rains a lot here. 

I can hear Kellen, standing basically three feet away at the mic, groan. It was perfectly dry before, and it’s starting to pour now, so all the marchers have their not waterproof, feather fountain (everyone’s nickname for them) plumes, which means they’ll be ruined. 

I get to the end of the opener with only one mistake (those hi-hat 16th notes on beat 3 get me every time) and grab the bass drum mallet and the gong mallet. This is the most powerful hit in the show, says Cassandra, so I wind up a little farther than normal, and strike hard and fast. 

The rain, the energy, the force of the hit and the looseness of my grip culminate in an epic hit, and my bass drum mallet flying out of my hand. 

It’s almost slow motion, my vision highlights how the mallet springs off of the head of the drum, how it soars between the raindrops, over the trap table, how I reach for it, how it flies less than an inch in front of a field judge’s face, how it lands ten feet in front of the rack. 

My face goes red as a tomato and my mouth drops open. I almost hit a field judge! I hear the seniors talking occasionally about how they’ve “gotten” judges that got too close, with the most legendary of stories being how the bottom bass drum a few years back did a turn and completely knocked a judge out cold. Apparently the judge also got stepped on many times as well. Bass drum dude’s apparently got a shrine behind the unused sousaphone case in the equipment closet now, even though he graduated. I mean, not like I’d know anything about that, wink wink. 

But I almost hit one without moving from my little rack circle. 

Wow. 

I wonder what judge he is. I hope he’s something like the color guard judge and  _ not _ the percussion judge. That would be beyond awkward. 

Thank god I have most of the ballad to think of what to do. 

I come up with a plan. I’m going to use the gong mallet on the bass drum and just smack the gong really hard with my fist when I need to hit it at the same time. At least I don’t have any gong rolls left in the show. 

My hand hurts at the end of the show. 

After the show, I run and pick up the mallet and stuff it in the crate, then pack the rest of my crap up. I put everything up onto the pit cart, grab the bass drum and move off the field. Up, around, to the space in the lot that serves as Camp Tigard, where Mckee talks to us.

“Well! Good job, everyone! How do you think you did musically? Thumbs up, down, or sideways.”

Thumbs up. 

“What about visually?”

Thumbs...sideways. 

“Yeah, I think that pretty accurately describes that. That was a good run, Tigard.”

~cheers all around~

“Alright, let’s get Irving up here.”

“That was a good run. We can do better, but it was good. We need to remember the up-dahts, winds. Sectionals this afternoon, take advantage of them. Especially you, low brass.”

“Alright, what about you, Rebecca?”

“We know what we can work on. Foot timing, especially you, clarinets. But that was a good run.”

“Alright! Thank you. Battery, meet with Jaden, pit meet with Cassandra, guard meet with Tippi. Everyone else, get changed, get cheese, go into the stands. Liz has wristbands, get those, no lone rangers or couples. Go in three-or-mores.”

“Hey pit!”

“Hey what?”

“Get over here.”

Once we’re over there, Cassandra clears her throat. 

“Ok, so we have a few things to work on. Marimbas! You first! Where was that third splash crash in the drum break? Get that down.”

“That’s it? Wow.”

“And make sure to watch out for the 16th notes of death too.”

“I knew there was something else.”

“Electronics! I know we had that cable fall out on the bass guitar, but great job fixing that. Brianna, you also need to watch that second voiceover, don’t trigger it too early. What is it, Aiden?”

“Does anyone have tape?”

“Yeah, it’s in my bag. I’ll get it after this.”

“Thanks, Brianna.”

“Vibes! Louder. Just be louder. Higher heights, more velocity. Sectionals today, work that. That’s it.”

“Hey, we’re trying, okay?”

“I know. Just try more.”

“...”

“Levi! Please, stop using the red mallets! I know we planned on using them, but we took that out Wednesday, remember. For tonight, just put the reds in your uniform bag before we leave for warmups and take them back out when we get back to the lot so we don’t have that happen again by mistake.”

“I thought you said use them in the closer.”

“Never said anything about that.”

“Okay.”

“And Kaitlyn! When I said emphasize that bass drum hit, I didn’t mean to practically throw the mallet at the drum and almost kill the percussion judge on the rebound.”

Aw, crap, it _was_ the percussion judge. When we listen to the tape later, I’m so going to be called out. Everyone busts up laughing. I guess I’m going down in infamy now.

“sorry…”

“It’s alright. Anyway, that’s it. Sectionals today, Eddie, have them work the drum break. Go change.”

Ten minutes later, I’m out of uniform, I have my secret pal gift (hell yeah Nutella and Silly String) and cheese, and I’m going with 2 guard girls, Ashley and Maria, a clarinet player named Luke, Levi, and the bottom bass drummer, Owen, to the stands. It’s kind of a long walk, which sucks, but at least I’ve got my umbrella. It’s raining less hard, more like sprinkling now. We all left our uniform jackets draped over bus seats, bibs hanging in the truck, trailer, off equipment and the walls. Thank god for hangers with names and small bands. 

Anyway, the conversation turns to the topic of judge-hitting. 

“Hey, Owen, have you ever hit a field judge?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“What about you two, have you hit a judge with one of your flags or guns?”

“They’re called rifles.”

“My bad. Anyway, have you?”

“Yeah, once. Don’t think Ashley has though. Why the sudden interest?”

“Well, funny thing happened…”

Later, after watching all the prelims shows and awards, (We won high Music and high General Effect, and got second place) Tigard heads back into the lot in two big clumps. 

Linner (lunch and dinner, smacked together in one meal) is make-your-own-tacos. We also watch Kara, a flute senior and verified theater geek, dance to Bohemian Rhapsody. 

It’s the perfect picture of competition days- half competition, half hanging out with the best and most interesting people in the world. 

After lunch, it’s sectional time. For brass, today that means music practice then a quick lot “bell and bore” polish. Which basically means everyone polishes their smaller horns then help Nolan with his contra.

Woodwinds work on their marching, then do a breathing gym followed by a long tone contest. That’s real fun to listen to. The senior alto sax gets I think up to a minute. 

The battery grabs their practice pads and sticks and sit inside the truck to work the ballad. No one goes in there due to the crazy amount of  _ tap tap tappity tap tap-tap-tap tappity tap ta-tap tappity tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tappity ta-tap tap tap ta-ta-ta tap tap tap tap tap tap tap.  _

The guard takes their swing flags and run off to go somewhere they can't hit anyone. No one really knows (other than the guard) where they go or what they do. 

And us in the pit just push the keyboards into a circle (I stand on the edge with the synth and electric bass and set up my rack) and Eddie smacks the frame of his marimba with a stick for a met and we run the drum break way too many times. 

Partway through, Cassandra and Jaden stop us and we go into the truck to listen to the percussion judges’ tape. We shut the back and Cassandra plays the tape. 

Most of the comments are about techniques, timing, and accuracy, but at the end of the opener, well…

“...Okay, so the snares need to clean the diddles right there, maybe take out the stick trick there for now.”

A pause. 

“I’m loving the cymbal crashes of the vibraphone players right there, can we-woah! Well, that was unexpected. Ok, so the rack player apparently did not have the world’s greatest grip on their bass drum mallet, and it almost hit me in the face on the rebound. It’s now lying about ten feet away. If it didn’t almost hit me, I might pick it up. I’m interested to see the adaptability here though. Don’t worry, not gonna steal it. I know those are expensive. Ooh- tenors, let’s not hit the rims there, okay?...”

I turn bright red, again, and the battery cracks up. Cassandra has to pause, and I explain to everyone. 

After the tape is over, we go back out into daylight and keep practicing for the next 20 minutes. The guard gets back, the brass clean up and find a trash can for the napkins they used as cloths, the woodwinds finish the last flute high note contest, and the battery puts away their practice pads. 

Then we dress, (bibs, shoes, jackets, sweatbands for the loose sleeves), go to the pit/whole band warm-up space, and warm up. The warm up goes smoothly, the drum break goes well, the marchers grab plastic plumes, just in case, and we leave, me pushing the bass drum in the front, just behind Mckee on the rack cart/podium. 

We rush on, I set up and we perform. 

It sounds decent. 

And of course, I keep an extra tight grip on the bass drum mallet the whole time. 

Just in case. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun trivia- my doc where I have all this backed up is called “The Century Bass Drum Fiasco and other stories”.


	5. Group Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaitlyn’s Sophomore Year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same_though_96- Hannah (new kid that Maria showed around)  
> ThreeStrikes-Stacia (bass clarinet that Kaitlyn talks to from the percussion section)  
> I_ship_it- Alice (random soprano girl that looked alone that melded into their group)  
> JustAStepInTime-Elaine (marching xylo)  
> stopmallettime-Kaitlyn  
> LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva-Maria (colorguard friend)  
> Ashley-Ashley (colorguard friend)

December 20 2:17 PM

_ LinusxCharlieBrown2getha5eva has joined the chat! Say hello! _

JustAStepInTime- sup maria

Same_though_96-Maria we need to talk about your username

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha5eva- whats wrong with it

ThreeStrikes- just because the character limit is 30 doesn’t mean you need 30

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha5eva- it’s 28 thank you very much

ThreeStrikes- still

JustAStepInTime- you could have picked any ship. even lewis x fucking clark. you chose that. 

I_ship_it- It’s a pain in the ass, Maria. None of ours even come close to it.

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha5eva- whatever Im not changing it

_ LinusxCharlieBrown2getha5eva has changed their username to LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva _

ThreeStrikes- bruh

Ashley- What about Elaine’s?

JustAStepInTime- like you can talk, person who’s username is literally her name. 

Ashley- Hey!

_ stopmallettime has joined the chat. Say hello! _

Same_though_96- hi kaitlyn

I_ship_it- hey 

JustAStepInTime- srry were blowing up your phone

Same_though_96- were not sorry

stopmallettime- Guys I need help

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- what is it 

JustAStepInTime- is it a levi problem again

Same_though_96- isn’t it always

stopmallettime- that’s not fair

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- but it’s true

stopmallettime- i guess

I_ship_it- Spit it out.

stopmallettime- he and his parents and sister are coming over to decorate cookies  and i dont know what to do 

ThreeStrikes- decorate cokies

ThreeStrikes- *cookies

ThreeStrikes- don’t do cocaine

Same_though_96- I mean no shit though

JustAStepInTime- why do you keep coming to us for relationship advice like half of us are aro/ace and the other half haven’t ever had a boyfriend or anything like that

stopmallettime- you guys are my frens 

Ashley- I think she means what should she wear. Do you still have that ugly sweater?

stopmallettime- that’s jenny’s

Same_though_96- what about that red dress

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- have you ever met Kaitlyn 

ThreeStrikes- Apparently not

JustAStepInTime- wear whatever Kaitlyn he won’t care 

I_ship_it- Seriously, Kaitlyn, he’s not gonna judge. 

Ashley- If he does judge you on your clothes dump him. 

stopmallettime- harsh

Ashley- You don’t need that negativity in your life. Kathy is bad enough. 

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- can we NOT talk about kathy thank you very much

ThreeStrikes- I mean really

Same_though_96- just make sure you’re wearing clothes kaitlyn

JustAStepInTime- although he’d probably be fine with it if you weren’t 

ThreeStrikes- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

JustAStepInTime- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Same_though_96- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

stopmallettime- YOU GUYS

JustAStepInTime- sorry not sorry

Ashley- Take a cute picture with him though, something you’d like to see in your scrapbook when you’re old and gray and looking through it together.

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- putting the cart before the horse there Ashley

Same_though_96- not really I ship it totally

JustAStepInTime-i can see them being married and living to like a hundred together

ThreeStrikes- i can see kaitlyn with like three little girls running around that are carbon copies of her and they’re all super girly and she and levi are like constantly what

I_ship_it- So can I. Don’t worry about it, Kaitlyn. Take some pictures (and show us) but enjoy the moment. 

I_ship_it- And just wear something red or something green. 

ThreeStrikes- meeting adjourned

stopmallettime- thanks yall you’re the best

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- we know

Ashley- So modest. 

I_ship_it- Absolutely. 

ThreeStrikes- we’re the best friends

Same_though_96- have fun kaitlyn

LinusxCharlieBrown2getha4eva- but not too much

JustAStepInTime- use a condom

stopmallettime- ELAINE

JustAStepInTime- ᕕ( º ᗜ º )ᕗ

_ JustAStepInTime has left the chat. _


	6. Soulmate Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a counter in the sky that counts down the time. When it hits zero, for the next twenty four hours, it’s a day of chaos. 
> 
> Soulmates over the age of fifteen will see the world through each other’s eyes for one minute, which takes place randomly during the twenty four hours. They’ll have full control over each other’s body. 
> 
> At Tigard High, everything’s been chaotic the whole day. People discovering their soulmates randomly throughout the day has made it so nothing can get done. 
> 
> Marching band rehearsal has the same problems. Random people becoming their soulmate keeps everyone on edge, and the risk of collisions is high. 
> 
> Finding your soulmate at fifteen, in your first soulmate minute is unlikely, but not impossible...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon is for suckers.

It’s Soulmate Minute day! All day I’ve seen my friends wig out for a minute, then return to normal. Their Soulmates have been here and gone. Me, I’m still waiting to find out who mine is. If I have one, that is. There are a few people who don’t get soulmates. I hope I have a Soulmate. 

The day of Soulmate Minutes happens whenever the permanent timer in the sky hits zero. Then it turns golden and for twenty four hours, people have one minute at random in their Soulmate’s body, and vice versa with your Soulmate being in your body in that same minute.

After the day ends, the timer is reloaded with a random amount of time. Never longer than a year passes between Soulmate Minute days, but also never shorter than a month. 

The timer in the sky counts down the last of the twenty four hours for this Soulmate Minute day. Only an hour and a half left. 

Marching band rehearsal has been crazy today. People randomly becoming their Soulmates and vice versa makes collisions likely and messups frequent, keeping everyone on edge. 

On our water break, I sit behind my marimba and Levi, one of my best friends and also my crush since eighth grade, sits next to me. He also plays marimba, he plays first and I play second. Not like they’re drastically different, just different chords. Both of us being the marimba players as sophomores, even, is exciting. 

“Have you found your soulmate yet?” I ask. 

“No, not yet.” he says. “I really want to know who it is. I hope I’m not one of the people who doesn’t have a soulmate.”

“Geez, that would suck.” I say. 

“It would.”

Elaine bounds over to us, full of energy. 

“Have you guys found your Soulmates yet?” she asks, voice breathless and full of excitement. 

“No, not yet.” I say. 

“Me neither.” Levi adds. 

“Well, at least you guys are fifteen. I can’t believe it. I turn fifteen next week! Next freaking week!” Elaine exclaims. 

“True. I’m just worried I won’t have a Soulmate.” I say dejectedly. 

“Aw, there’s someone out there for you.” Levi says, patting me on the back. He’s so sweet. 

“I can’t believe you guys haven’t gotten your Soulmates. Usually first timers get theirs earlier, according to the books.” Elaine comments.

”I know. I read the same ones.” I say. 

“Everyone back to the field, set for the ballad!” Declan calls out. 

Levi stands and offers his hand to me. “I hope you get your Soulmate.” he says. 

“I hope you get yours too.” I say before we get set for the next rep. 

________

Half an hour later, with one hour left on the golden clock, my hands are sweaty and there’s butterflies in my stomach. I’m seriously starting to doubt if I have a Soulmate.

”Set at letter A, everyone!” Declan calls out to us. As Natalie counts off, we bring our mallets up on three and set to play. Mallets up, hand on the china cymbal, ready to choke the sound as soon as it plays. 

As soon as I hit the china cymbal on the left side of my marimba, I blink and suddenly my cymbal is angled differently. Oh no. Did I break the cymbal mount? 

I look up and the drum major’s podium is...on my right. It’s usually to the left of me, as it’s on the fifty and Levi and I split over the line. What the heck? Did it move? I look down- this isn’t my marimba! This one is the one with the different grain pattern! Did I black out or something? 

I look left and see Ginger, and Liam, and Emily, playing like normal. I look behind me and there’s everyone on the field, marching along. 

I turn back around to the right and see myself. 

Wait, what?

Myself? Me? Am I hallucinating?

I tap myself on the shoulder (the other me...oh dear, this is confusing, but at least I’m definitely not hallucinating) and me-but-not-me jumps. 

Other me looks up at me (I’m taller too now by at least six inches...what the heck?) and does a double take. 

“Kaitlyn?” other me asks. 

“Wait, what?” I stammer. 

What the... why does other me know my n- OH! It clicks. My Soulmate! My Soulmate is Levi! This is his marimba! That’s why I’m over here!

“Levi? Are you...?” I ask. 

“...my Soulmate.” he finishes. 

It’s got to be! There’s no other rational explanation. 

Behind us, the band plays on, oblivious to the revelation on the front sideline. 

"Holy crap, you're my Soulmate!" I breathe.

"No swearing on the field." Levi jokes.

"Seriously, though. I think we’re Soulmates.” I say. 

”It must be.”

”Wow.”

We stand awkwardly for a few seconds, acutely aware of the time ticking down, before I speak again. 

“Would this be a bad time to admit I have a crush on you?” I take a long shot and ask. 

“Would this be a bad time for me to say same and also ask you out?” he says. 

My mouth drops open. 

“Um..no?” I say. “No, it wouldn’t be a bad time.” I quickly clarify. 

He (I?) grins broadly. “Then, uh, do you want to go out with me?” he asks. 

“Absolutely, Soulmate!” I exclaim, a smile breaking my face. Wow. I just went from wondering if I even had a Soulmate to going out with my longtime crush (who also happens to be my Soulmate, how lucky am I?) in less than a minute. 

“Awesome! Wow, I can’t believe this. This is like movie magic type stuff.”

”It is, isn’t it.” I stare wistfully into my Soulmate’s eyes (my eyes? I don’t even know.)

“So where are we in the music?” Levi asks me, snapping me out of my reprieve. 

“I think we’re at...section D in two measures.” I say, preparing to play. We turn back towards our keyboards. A few seconds later, I blink and I’m back on my own marimba, finishing out the rest of the ballad. 

After Natalie cuts us off, Declan immediately calls us out. 

“So, Kaitlyn, Levi, what was that?”

”Soulmate Minute.” I say simply. 

“I know your first Soulmate Minute can be exciting, and everything can be confusing, but you really don’t need to talk to each other.”

”No. _We’re Soulmates._ ”

”What?” 

“Kaitlyn and I are Soulmates!” Levi exclaims excitedly, darting over to me and hugging my side. 

The entire band erupts in cacophony. It’s almost unheard of to be near your Soulmate (unless you’re married) when the Minute hits. It’s even rarer to know your Soulmate without doing what most people do, writing their phone number on their Soulmate’s arm. 

And I found mine and started going out with him in the Minute! 

“Well, congratulations!” Declan says before calling us to attention to nitpick us. 

________

At the end of rehearsal, Mckee videos our last rep then calls us in to go over some things. 

“Great run, you guys. I’m glad we were able to work through this rehearsal, especially because of Soulmate day. Speaking of which, did anybody have their Minute during rehearsal?” she asks. 

Levi and I raise our hands, as well as one of the snare drums, a flute player, a trumpet, and one of the guard girls. 

“Anybody know who their Soulmate is?” Mckee then asks. 

Everybody in the band looks over at Levi and I. Our hands are woven together as I quietly murmur “Oh, um, Levi and I are Soulmates...”

“Can you say that a bit louder for the deaf old lady?” Mckee asks with a hand to her ear. 

“We’re Soulmates!” Levi proclaims happily, before pressing a quick kiss to the top of my head. 

“Wow, congratulations you two!” Mckee exclaims. “I do have to say though, in my twenty two years being in charge of this band, I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“That’s cool!” I say.

“And while we’re on the topic of cool things, this weekend’s forecast is sunny so our competition should be fun...”


End file.
